Brisbane Based Hapkido Training & Instruction

Meet The Team – Charlotte

Our students at Hapkido Hosinsul have all joined us for different reasons so we thought we’d share a few stories from them, giving you an insight into what makes them a martial artist.

Why did you start training with Hapkido Hosinsul?

I was looking to get into something new to improve my fitness when a couple of friends of mine said they had started doing Hapkido – and they trained right around the corner from my house! I thought why not and gave it a try, and I’ve loved it ever since.

How long have you trained for?

I’ve been training since mid-2013 (with a 6-month gap when I was travelling overseas). I didn’t really have any previous martial arts experience but I feel like I’ve made a ton of progress in that time. When I started I never foresaw myself being able to get to the level I have, but now I’m hoping to continue training all the way to black belt.

What is the best thing about Hapkido Hosinsul?

There are really so many things I like that I can’t pick a single one – so I’ll just tell you about a bunch of them! I really started Hapkido for fitness, and it’s the only fitness activity I’ve found that provides training in almost everything you could want – strength, cardio, balance, flexibility, coordination – and also helps me stay motivated. I’m one of those people who finds the gym just too boring to motivate myself to go, but I actually find myself looking forward to every night at Hapkido.

As an added bonus, I actually feel much more able to defend myself now than when I started, and so I’ve found myself feeling much safer when I’m out at night or by myself. Hapkido is a very practical martial art, and the instructors at Hapkido Hosinsul are really good at encouraging people to try different techniques, or different ways of doing one technique, to make it work for them regardless of differences like height and strength.

Lastly, but definitely not least, I really love the people at Hapkido. The atmosphere is always very friendly, and we get on so well together that going to training just feels like going to hang out with my friends. This also makes training itself better, because we all have a strong bond of trust with each other and know each other’s limits. And it’s not just those people who have been there for a long while, as everyone is really welcoming of new people (like me when I joined!).

And what is the worst thing?

Always having to turn my friends down when they invite me out on Monday and Wednesday nights!

To someone who is thinking about trying it, what would you say to them?

Definitely give it a shot! If you like martial arts, I’m sure you’ll like Hapkido as it has a bit of everything – kicking, punching, jumping and falling, self-defence techniques, throwing, fitness training – and if you’ve tried martial arts in the past and it hasn’t been your thing, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised – it’s not at all like the competitive, repetitive martial arts classes I’ve tried in the past.